The 19 Very Best Drawer Organizers

Measurements: 7 sizes, from 6” x 6” x 2” to 3” x 12” x 2” | Design: Stackable | Material: Bamboo

I heard about these do-it-all drawer organizers from three experts — and tested a few myself — and decided they deserved the best-in-class blue ribbon for their remarkable versatility. Since they are made from bamboo, they’re “neutral-looking enough” for almost anywhere, Solomon says. (In some drawers, they might even be mistaken for built-ins.) They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from a 6-inch square to many different rectangles, and you can even stack them to save space or to actually “take advantage of deeper drawers,” adds Lauren Saltman of Living. Simplified.

“It’s a bit like playing Tetris figuring out which size goes where,” Goforth explains. She suggests grouping similar items into “zones” because “if you keep like with like, it will always be easier to find.” (Example: whisks and wooden spoons in one spot, tongs in another.) Solomon likes to mix and match but generally orders one organizer that’s six inches by six inches by two inches “as a vessel for rubber bands and chip clips” and a couple of the smallest size (three inches by six inches by two inches) to serve as a sort of catchall. In bathroom drawers full of makeup and medicine, they make everything “so satisfyingly organized” that you’ll actually want to keep them that way, she promises. But her favorite place to put the organizers is inside a junk drawer to bring order to “a chaotic space that gets a bad rap.” Saltman feels similarly, along with mentioning these can work wonders in desks for paper clips and tangle-prone cords.

The Container Store sent me a selection of these organizers for review, and I agree with Soloman, Saltman, and Goforth’s praise. They are a simple, straightforward tool for making order out of disorder: I keep kitchen essentials in them with the sharpest tools in one (including scissors and knives) and often-lost-in-the-shuffle gadgets — a garlic chopper, a greens stripper — in another. Because they are stackable, I also like that I can place the most neat-looking and frequently used organizers on top and hide the messier ones beneath.

Measurements: 24” long, 2” or 4” high | Design: Stackable, snaps for the right size, self-adhesive mounts | Material: Plastic

This is the most DIY recommendation. The “custom” part of the design requires you to measure and cut the strips to the measurements of the drawer you’re planning on putting them in, and they come with self-adhesive mounts to keep them in place (you can stock up on replacements, which are sold in packages of eight). This is especially helpful if you’re someone with odd-shaped drawers that you can never find organizers for. Heidi Lee, founder of home-organization service Prune + Pare, says that additionally, the strips are stackable, so you can place them into deep-set drawers. But even in more shallower spaces (like a desk), they can corral things like rubber bands.

Measurements: 18” x 12.75” to 22.25” x 2.625” | Design: Expandable, five compartments | Material: Bamboo 

If you’re set on the tray route, whether you prefer the look or just don’t want to deal with different dividers, consider this Morahan-approved organizer. Unlike many of the kitchen-drawer trays out there, it’s expandable — reaching a maximum of 22 inches wide. The organizer works well for all your basic utensils, but it’s big enough for larger utensils — think rolling pins — that might not fit into a traditional tray. Morahan likes that these are versatile and blend seamlessly into kitchen drawers, resulting in a made-for-you look without the made-for-you price tag. As Ruff points out, bamboo is ideal for kitchens, “because it’s a natural material that looks nice and wears well.”

Measurements: 18” x 13” to 21” x 2.5” | Design: Expandable, seven compartments | Material: Bamboo

One of Solomon’s favorite flatware organizers is this expandable tray that “allows you to spread out your utensils” more (her other favorite is a more stationary version). She adds: “I love that utensils like salad and dinner forks can live happily alongside one another instead of being so cramped.” That’s assuming your drawer allows you to use the expansion feature — the tray can stretch from 13 inches to 21 inches width-wise — letting spoons have a little breathing room. If you have a big silverware collection, it’s your best bet. (But those truly prized pieces — like half-a-century-old heirlooms — might be better off in something more airtight like this, Solomon suggests.) Definitely double-check your measurements before ordering: After requesting it from the Container Store to test out, I realized the tray couldn’t fit into any of my drawers. So I decided to keep it right on the counter. It expands easily enough, and the design looks intentional — sometimes when a thing is branded as “expandable,” the expandable part seems too tacked on. (A tip: Solomon recommends placing items into the organizer in the same order you use when laying out your table.)

Measurements: 4.33” x 15.6” x 2.25” | Design: Five angled compartments | Material: Plastic

If you’re really short on space and can’t even consider something that expands, Hannah Starke, former member of the Strategist social team, recommends this compact cutlery-drawer tray, which she uses in her 22-square-foot kitchen. Thanks to its stacked design, t’s super space-saving. Starke leaves it on one side of the sink, where the counter meets a wall and it has just enough space to hold all her flatware.

Measurements: 5 sizes, from 7.5” x 4” x 3” to 11.875 ” x 4” x 3”| Design: Modular, labeled gallon, quart, sandwich, snack, and accessories | Material: Bamboo

This is a hyperspecific option, meant for those who want an especially uniform look wherever they store their plastic bags. (If you’ve forsaken plastic, you could probably also store reusables like Bee’s Wrap wrappers inside.) “Boxes are bound to get crushed,” Saltman says. This set of organizers (five in total) is useful because each acts like a dispenser — you can reach for gallon-size bags in one and quart-size bags in another. The openings on each organizer are large enough to easily refill and remove bags, Saltman points out. And there’s a “bonus” organizer included for accessories like pens to mark bags on the outside (say, for someone who packs school lunches).

Measurements: 12” to 18” long x 4” high | Design: Adjustable, optional mounting strips | Material: Plastic

These dresser-drawer dividers were the most raved-about organizers, name-checked by four of our experts — Hord, Morahan, Abramovici, and Natalie Schrier, founder of Cut the Clutter — mentioned them to us. The spring-loaded dividers “provide an exact fit for the entire depth of the drawer, leaving no space wasted, and they stay put,” Schrier explains. Hord loves how they instantly create categories among clothes, like folded-up favorite tees here and less frequently worn tees there. Morahan similarly says that if you’re short on space, these are a simple way to give yourself more room. For example, a drawer that was once just for undies now has sections for bras and shapewear. Abramovici installed these more than a decade ago and her underwear drawer “has been immaculate ever since.” You can use the included mounting strips (which are optional) to hold the dividers in place extra securely if needed.

Measurements: 11” to 17” x 0.8” x 3.5” | Design: Adjustable, curved corners, silicone stoppers on each end | Material: Wood

The Dream Drawers are our best overall pick for their affordability, but for a splurge that just might match your wooden dresser drawer perfectly, turn to these adjustable dividers from Open Spaces, which come recommended by both Solomon and Sharon Lowenheim, a.k.a. the Organizing Goddess. Lowenheim is particularly impressed that these dividers have a whitewashed finish that’s neither too dark (serious-looking) nor too light (which can come off as childish). (Although, if you have a drawer much darker or lighter, these might not be the best fit.) Solomon points out that the slightly curved corners add to their charm, as most dresser-drawer organizers have sharp edges. In addition to being adjustable, the dividers feature silicone stoppers at each end for a snug, secure fit.

Measurements: 5.5” x 5.5” x 5,” 11” x 5.5” x 5,” and 11” x 11” x 5” (2 of each) | Design: Different-size boxes that can be folded flat | Material: Polyester

Compared to The Container Store’s linen boxes that start at $18 a pop, the Ikea Skubb boxes are a bargain at $7 for a six-pack. Although these are specially designed to fit into the brand’s own furniture, Tanner assures us that the boxes work just as well in non-Ikea drawers. The set can hold the most delicate of delicates. But Tanner’s tip is to use them in kids’ drawers, since the organizers can accommodate their smaller clothes. You can even put the small boxes inside the bigger ones, matryoshka-doll-style, to create sections. These can fold completely flat if you unzip their bottoms — in the event you ever need to store some of them after changing your organizational setup.

Measurements: 18” x 13.5” x 2.75” | Design: 32 separate compartments | Material: Plastic

The linen organizers above would make for a smart drawer solution for delicates, but for something even more underwear-specific, Goforth recommends this Elfa organizer. The smooth plastic is designed to be snag-free, according to the brand, while each diamond-shaped divider can hold a pantie, pair of stockings, or other undergarment. Goforth describes it as “life changing for the drawer we all use every day” and suggests organizing contents by color and type (thongs together). This organizer has another distinct advantage: You can tailor it to any drawer by just cutting off any of the ends that don’t fit.

Measurements: 12” to 18.75”x 10.25” x 1.5” | Design: Expandable, 12 compartments, separate ring display space | Material: Velvet

A jewelry tray inside a drawer frees up your dresser top from bulky boxes and cluttered miniature curio cabinets. Not to mention that it keeps chains from tangling and stones in their place. This tray earned a coveted spot in our guide to the best jewelry organizers, and Stackers was the most-mentioned brand in that story. Ope Omojola, founder of Octave Jewelry, uses it in her desk drawer so that, instead of having her jewels sitting out, most of them are accessible enough “so that when I’m getting dressed, they’re right there.” She stacks the trays on top of one another, unstacking whenever she needs a particular piece. Because the organizer is expandable, it can grow alongside your collection. And a note from me, a jewelry collector (I own more than 200 pieces): Velvet is the perfect cushion for your treasures, as it won’t scuff off any polish or plating.

Measurements: 15.06” x 11.5” x 3” | Design: 23 compartments, two-tiered trays | Material: Plastic

Madesmart’s no-muss, no-fuss organizers were name-checked twice. There are two versions of this organizer — the two-tiered one seen here and a one-tier option (which costs around $10 less). Schrier depends on the two-tiered one for everyday office supplies, with partitions for everything from paper clips to scissors and a compartment sized specifically for a roll of tape. The top tray can be removed and used separately in a different desk drawer, and since it doesn’t fully cover the bottom level, you don’t have to move it to find your favorite pens. Lisa Zaslow of Gotham Organizers recommends the one-tier, calling it “so useful, you may stop calling that drawer where you keep little items that you use often ‘the junk drawer.’” The range of sections makes it easy to follow the golden organizing rule: “A place for everything and everything in its place,” she adds. One of Zaslow’s clients even had the “genius” idea of putting toy parts in hers — so whenever her kids would be looking for a tiny Lego figure’s hat or a doll’s small shoe, she would know where to search.

Measurements: 6 sizes, from 3” x 3” x 2” to 12” x 10” x 2” | Design: Stackable with shallow and deep options for each size | Material: Metal

For a desk-drawer organizer that’s more design-forward, consider these colorful ones that Daniel Loya, owner of Spaces Transformed, raved to us about before. They’ll brighten up a dull desk space. He suggests that the shades — which include sky blue and lime green — can help with color-coding supplies, along with giving you something cheerful to look at whenever you open your drawers. “There are endless ways you can arrange the compartments,” Loya explains. You also can choose between shallow and deep sizes for each color, depending on the space you’re working with.